


Unravel the Truth

by Busted



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Enemies to Friends, F/F, Sayo is a dumbass, minor mocaran and himatomoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Busted/pseuds/Busted
Summary: Afterglow, an upcoming criminal group of five girls meet their toughest challenge yet in the form of a certain detective. They have no choice but to sacrifice Tsugumi and use her as bait against this new threat.It doesn't end up according to anybody's plans.Warning: Some minor violence and minor suggestive behavior
Relationships: Hazawa Tsugumi/Hikawa Sayo
Kudos: 40





	Unravel the Truth

**Author's Note:**

> I've been super busy working on an irl project, and playing Animal Crossing
> 
> im still bummed about being stuck on that Flying Houses fic
> 
> but I felt this strange urge to write. to be honest, this is the first time I wrote so naturally without stopping and thinking about what to put next. Every other time I've written something, I'd have to think for a few days before attempting even a few paragraphs. whats more is
> 
> i was at 3k words during my first draft. 
> 
> idk what this means but babanbo bless me.
> 
> i also finished the book girl series! yup!
> 
> oh its about this guy who writes an award winning novel in middle school, but is traumatized badly cos he watches his best friend/romantic crush commit suicide
> 
> and when he goes to high school. he meets a girl who 
> 
> EATS BOOKS!! and the story is about them.
> 
> its a really bittersweet series, and at the same time inspires me and makes me more depressed.
> 
> The second book in the series even made me feel nauseous for a week. I didn't know literature could affect people that way. I wonder when my writing will affect people like that
> 
> i dont want them to feel nauseous but instead feel like they're eating peaches or tiramisu.
> 
> There's something else I want to say but there's another time for that.

Himari cracks her knuckles, and Tomoe flips on the light switch. 

The single bulb in the dusty warehouse flickers a few times until it illuminates the small area. One by one, the five girls sit around each other at a round table.

"Well then, ladies. Hold on, Ran, you're not going to sit on a chair?" asked Himari.

Ran climbs up to the center of the table and squats.

"I'm a gangster, I don't need a chair. Come on, Himari, go back to starting the meeting."

Ran crouches down even further until her butt is almost touching the table. The creaking sound makes Himari and Tsugumi shake. 

Himari lets out an uneasy chuckle.

"Alright, let's get on with this meeting. Members are all present! How have you all been accelerating Afterglow's mission?"

Tomoe slaps the table, making Ran wobble. The red-streaked rebel grabs the edges of the table.

"Cut it out!" Ran screams.

"Sorry I got excited. I figured out a way to make weed look like red chili flakes, and I've been swapping them with the chili shakers at the ramen restaurants I go to. Once the people are hooked, I'll offer some to them in secret."

Himari applauds.

"Excellent work, Tomoe! If you continue..."

Himari chokes on her words and uses a 1,000 yen bill to wipe her tears.

"We'll surely be able to afford that mansion in Inoshima."

Himari turns to a mountain of bread.

"Moca, that's you, right?" asked Himari.

"Moca-chan here!"

"Moca, if you keep buying bread from Yamabuki Bakery, then our funds for the mansion will be delayed," said Tsugumi.

The bun on top of the bread stack disappears, and out appears the peak of Moca's snowy hair.

"Don't worry, my dear Tsugu. Ran and I have been continuing our investigation on her, right, Ran?"

"Yes, we have."

"Sigh, that teal-haired detective, every time Moca-chan sees her, Moca-chan loses her appetite."

"Maybe if you look at her more, we'd buy that Inoshima mansion sooner." 

"Don't be so mean to me, Ran."

"Whatever."

"Woah, Woah. Let's not fight. After Tsugumi reports to us, let's discuss what we're going to do about that detective."

Himari places her palms forward and shakes them.

Tsugumi clears her throat.

"Hazawa Coffee has been operating well. Customers love our new coconut brown sugar pie. Oh! And no one suspects that my room is Afterglow's second base of operations. I've also organized and hidden a lot of our overstocked materials."

"That's excellent. As for me, I've finished scheduling the deliveries and meetups for next week." 

She stands up.

"Alright, now that the housekeeping is done, let's get it! Afterglow! Ei Ei Oh!"

Himari does a small jump and pumps a fist into the air.

Like always, Himari's cheer is met with silence, so Tsugumi continues the conversation.

"Also, I might have a lead on that teal haired detective. Lately, there's been a customer that's been coming in nearly every day. She looks really serious, and I'm always scared of messing up her order. I think her name was uhh, Hikawa-san?"

"That name~ From the taste of my bread, I can smell it. She's the detective we're looking for."

"Alright! Now that we know who she is let's beat her up!" 

Tomoe raises both fists into the air and slams them down.

"Stop!" Ran yells.

Her fists stop about one inch away from the table.

"Hold on, Tomoe. We can't do that, she's a well-known figure. If we beat her up, then we will incur the wrath of the entire police force." says Tsugumi 

"Moca chan thinks we should lure her somewhere and then hold her hostage."

"How are we going to bait her?" asked Tsugumi.

The other Afterglow members look at Tsugumi and pop shit-eating smirks.

Never in her entire life had Tsugumi been so nervous working as a cashier at her family's cafe. Its been so many years, and she can't recall the last time she trembled so much. Even her first day wasn't this bad. 

Her face glistens for a moment as a slightly taller teal-haired girl walks in.

"Welcome to Hazawa Coffee!" 

Tsugumi smiles, and the other girl returns the favor.

"I'll have a medium latte, please, Hazawa-san."

"Sure thing, Hikawa-san, also do you have spare time today? I notice you've been coming into Hazawa Coffee a lot, so I'd like to ask you a few questions to improve the quality of the shop."

The customer nods.

"Yes, of course."

"Mom! Is it okay if I talk with my friend for a while?"

"Go ahead, Tsugumi-chan."

Tsugumi claps her hands together and leads the teal-haired girl to an empty table.

"So, Hikawa-san."

"Please call me Sayo."

"Sayo-san, do you have any suggestions for Hazawa Coffee?"

Sayo tries her best to look at Tsugumi, but she tilts her head to look at the scene outside. Sayo twitches her eyebrows and clears her throat. She looks back at Tsugumi.

"Yes, a- hold on Hazawa-san, there's something strange going on outside."

Tsugumi blinks and turns her head around. She places her hand over her heart to make sure that it didn't skip a beat. 

Tomoe and Himari kissed like crazed wolves. Moca licked a piece of bread that was glued to a Hazawa Coffee window. Ran was nowhere to be seen.

"Sigh, please excuse me, Hazawa-san, but as a police detective, I must put a stop to their nonsense."

(So it is her.)

Tsugumi feels as if she's drowning. Sayo is her enemy, but also her customer. She taps the table and watches Sayo go outside. Sliding her fingers off the table, Tsugumi stands up and starts walking back to the cash register. However, her face is still locked onto the scene outside. 

Ran appears, holding a leather briefcase. She mouths two words and slams it on the back of Sayo's head.

After Sayo fell down, Tsugumi followed suit. 

Noticing the thud, her mother rushes towards Tsugumi and helps her back up. 

"Tsugumi-chan?! You've been acting strange since the day started, so I think you should rest in your room."

"But, mom, I-"

"No buts, I don't want you to injure yourself. Please go rest."

Tsugumi's mom hands over a glass of water and hugs her.

"Yes, I will."

Tsugumi feels her heart turn into a drowning diver, losing her breath and plunging deep into the ocean. In her chair is Sayo, who is bound by zip ties. She's not saying anything, but her eyes burned with such scorn that Tsugumi turned downwards to look at the glass in her hand. 

In doing so, she notices the note on the floor.

*She's all yours, Tsugu. Figure out what to do with her.*

Tsugumi places her mug down and looks at Sayo. Tsugumi's heart was still pounding due to the fear, so she walks toward her bed. A quick nap was just what she needed to calm down, but she takes a step back. She instead decides to examine the bath bomb on her bookshelf.

"I should have known that you were a bad person. You're part of the criminal group that I've been tracking down, and my investigations lead me to this coffee shop. Even now, you're holding something suspicious. Looks like this is where I meet my end."

Tsugumi takes a sip of water. 

"This is a bath bomb, Sayo-san. Also, we're not going to kill you."

(Bath Bomb? Is she threatening to blow something up?)

Sayo looks down at her cuffed hands and fiddles her thumbs. 

"What do you plan on doing to me?"

"I'm not sure what I'll do yet, but my friends will do unpleasant things to you. One will fart in your face, one will eat bread sideways, one will force you to take selfies with her, and the last one will yell in your eardrums, possibly causing permanent damage."

Sayo grinds her teeth. The way Tsugumi chatted like she had nothing to hide from Sayo bothered her. She put her troubled emotions aside and brainstormed her best course of action.

(For now, I should gather more information and figure out a way to escape, so I'll play along.)

"You guys are criminals who steal from every department store, sell those items for drugs, and then sell the drugs for even more money." 

"Yes, but we've never hurt anyone in the process."

Sayo almost bites her tongue and moves her body forward as much as she could without tipping over. 

"ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS HIT ME IN THE HEAD!!"

Tsugumi drops the bath bomb, and her blood pressure rises.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. We were getting desperate, and a few of us are a little hotheaded. I'll get an ice pack for you, Sayo-san."

Tsugumi finishes the rest of her water and leaves. Without a sound, she closes the door to her room. Tsugumi leans against the door and places her palm near her chest. With her free hand, she writes out "dolphin" on the wall until her heartbeat steadies.

While Tsugumi is gone, Sayo looks around Tsugumi's room and starts calming down. The bookshelf is filled with lots of cookbooks, self-help books, and manga. Everything in the place looks so clean and organized, indicating to Sayo that Tsugumi took good care of her belongings.

Seeing at the clean light yellow bed sheets, and the line of plush toys relaxes her more.

Hazawa-san seems really kind and responsible. Someone this proper and caring can't be bad.

Sayo's eyes light up. She strains her neck to stare at the small dog plush at the corner of her eye. When the door re-opens, Sayo does not bother to straighten her head.

"So you like dogs, Sayo-san."

"They're okay. Also, please forgive me, Hazawa-san, I acted out of turn earlier."

"You don't have to apologize. My friends and I are the ones who harmed you."

Tsugumi lifts up Sayo and slips in between the space. Sayo shrinks her mouth.

(She's kind of strong to be able to lift up this chair and me at the same time.)

Tsugumi rests one arm on top of the chair and comes into contact with Sayo's hair. Her mouth trembles when she feels a strange sensation like a gust of summer wind slapping her face. 

Holding the ice pack on her other hand, she places it on the back of Sayo's head. She gently pushes down.

Although the ice pack is cold, Sayo feels most of her body warming up. She contains this unfamiliar feeling and squeezes her cheeks sore when she thanks Tsugumi.

With the two girls are locked into an awkward position, Sayo turns her head.

"Actually, Hazawa-san, can you adjust the chair, so I'm facing your plushies."

"Hehehe." Tsugumi giggles.

When Tsugumi adjusts the seat, her phone lights up, allowing her to see the time.

11:34 PM.

Once again, she pushes the ice pack gently on the back of Sayo's head.

"Sayo-san, is there anything you'd like to eat?

"French fries would be nice."

Tsugumi feels the ice pack wobble when the word fries left Sayo's mouth. 

"Alright, let me contact my friends."

Sayo ducks her head and growls.

"Don't worry."

She slips away from Sayo and unlocks her phone. She takes a glimpse at Sayo before texting Afterglow.

Tsugu- Hello! She's a bit resistant, but I found out how to make her talk.

Himari- Good job, Tsugu! What do you need from us?

Tsugu- I need some fries. Preferably a large order. Oh, may I also have a hamburger and a strawberry milkshake?"

Moca- We're not a drive-thru, Tsugu.

Tsugu typing

Moca- I'm just messing around, Ran will go grab the food. Right Ran?

Ran- okay

Ran- ???

Himari- Hahahaha.

Tomoe- Every time we're in a hard place, we can always count on Tsugu.

Moca- Yup, I sometimes read the wise sayings on bread wrappings. One of them read, "If you're stuck in life, you can always count on Tsugu."

Tsugu- Huh? Did it really say that?

Himari- Stop messing with Tsugu, Moca. In our most desperate times, she's here to pull us out of despair. Hail Tsugu!

Moca- Hail Tsugu!

Tomoe- Hail Tsugu!

Ran- Hail Tsugu! 

Ran- g2g. food.

Tsugu- Haha, thanks, everyone. I'm gonna go back to negotiating with her.

She leaves a private message for Ran, informing her to come in through the backdoor.

"And all done! You'll be able to enjoy your fries soon, Sayo-san."

In all her years as a detective, Sayo never felt such an urge to explore her curiosity. She needed to know what kind of expression was on Tsugumi's face. Her job as a detective was to find absolute truth, so looking at Tsugumi was natural. At least, that's what she told herself.

Sayo watches Tsugumi walk across from her, and sit on the bed.

The brown-haired girl wore a bittersweet expression, like leaves on the last day of autumn. 

Staring at Tsugumi's melancholic face was like looking at a waterfall. She could only see the water but not what was behind it. 

"Hazawa-san, what's wrong?"

"Afterglow. We've been together since we were kids, and we decided to buy a mansion so we can live together. At the rate we're selling drugs, it will take us three more years to afford the mansion."

A light smile shines across Tsugumi's face, and Sayo's body tingles.

"I'll get another ice pack."

Tsugumi gets up, and Sayo tries to grab her hands. The uncomfortable feeling of zip tie reminds Sayo that she's still restricted.

"Hazawa-san, my head doesn't hurt anymore. You don't need to get another ice pack for me."

Tsugumi returns to sitting on the bed, and she stares at her ceiling. At the same time, Sayo alternates between looking at the dog plush and at Tsugumi.

In silence, they wonder what to talk to the other girl about until Tsugumi's phone vibrates.

"I'll be right back, Ra- err, my friend is here with our food."

When Tsugumi opened her backdoor, Ran frowns as she hands over the fast-food to her friend.

"So, how's the interrogation going?"

Tsugumi takes a step back and nods.

"It's going great. With these fries, it won't be long until she starts talking."

Ran smiles.

"That sounds good. We knew we could count on you. Do you need any help with the process?"

Tsugumi shakes her head.

"I'll get going then. Be careful, Tsugu."

"Bye Ran, thanks for bringing this food."

Tsugumi waits until Ran cannot be seen.

As Tsugumi opens her door, she heard a thud sound. She jumps and looks at Sayo, who, along with the chair, is on the floor.

"Sayo-san! What happened?"

Tsugumi runs over and lifts the chair.

"Thanks. I'm just really hungry."

Tsugumi turns around and rustles the bag. The crunchy leaf sound alerts Sayo, and she watches Tsugumi pull out a box of fresh, crisp french fries. 

"Hazawa san, please untie me so I can enjoy the french fries."

That was the first time Sayo spoke so softly to Tsugumi. It was like her voice wrapped around Tsugumi's heart. It sounded so pleasant.

Tsugumi places the food on her floor and turns around. Captured in the chair was the source of all of Afterglow's troubles. What would happen if she was let go? The two of them have been in the room for less than an hour, and one hour wasn't enough time to know someone. Furthermore, that time in silence earlier felt uncomfortable.

But that could be improved if they talked more, right?

Tsugumi admits to herself that Sayo was much more endearing than she imagined. She thought it was cute how Sayo liked dogs and fries. Even more adorable was the fact that Sayo hid her interests so poorly.

While daydreaming, she found herself holding a pair of scissors, and the next thing she saw was Sayo standing up. 

Tsugumi froze. Waves of anxiety crashed inside her brain. She failed, Afterglow was done, this was all her fault. 

Sayo turns around and aims her palm at Tsugumi's neck. Full of conflicting thoughts, her arm moved like a nonfunctional fan, stopping at every inch. She couldn't do it. She couldn't attack such a likable and kind girl. Nearly halfway through her motion, Tsugumi fell, and Sayo quickly retracted her hand before using it to usher Tsugumi's back. She uses her free hand to reach out to Tsugumi's hand.

Tsugumi pushes herself onto Sayo. She rests her head on the taller girl's shoulders and starts crying.

"Hazawa-san, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to be the reason why Afterglow fails." 

Sayo commands every vein in her body to hold onto Tsugumi while battling her own conflicted mind. She starts combing Tsugumi's hair with her hands.

"It's okay. I'm still here."

Tsugumi nods, moving her head along Sayo's shoulders. Letting go of the detective, Tsugumi takes a cross-legged position on the floor. The taller girl echoes her movements. 

The two of them began to eat their food. 

"Hazawa san, I feel somewhat embarrassed by what I said. I'm not very good at my job."

"That's not true, Sayo san. You remained calm while captured and threatened. Even now, you continue to unravel the truth. I think you're a great detective."

"Speaking about the truth, I received a strange feeling earlier. I was wondering if you had any idea on what it might be."

Their eating becomes more natural. Sayo loads fries into her mouth, and Tsugumi starts eating her burger in small chunks.

"Feeling?"

"Yes, as a detective, I've been in many strange or dangerous situations, but the feeling I received earlier was one I never had before. When you padded my head with the ice pack, it felt like my entire body was burning up. Despite how unpleasant it sounds, I didn't want the feeling to stop."

Tsugumi looks at her milkshake and remembers how she felt when treating Sayo with the ice pack.

"I don't know what that feeling is, but I also felt an unfamiliar burning sensation earlier."

As they talked, eating became more natural and they finish their food.

"Thank you for the meal, and for taking care of me."

Sayo places her hands on the floor and gets up. She takes one last look at Tsugumi's room, then at Tsugumi herself, who also stood up.

"I'll keep today a secret if you do the same, Hazawa-san."

Tsugumi nods and watches Sayo go towards her door. Three seconds felt like an eternity. Time stops for Tsugumi, and she knew what she had to do.

Sayo's hand lands on the doorknob, but she feels a warmth that could only be described as both familiar and unfamiliar. She looks down and gulps. Tsugumi's hand was on top of hers, preventing her from turning the knob.

"Hazawa-san?"

"Sayo-san, it's true that I'm a criminal and you're a detective, but that doesn't mean we can't become close. People aren't represented by the titles given to them by society or their jobs. You solve mysteries and capture criminals. My friends and I rob department stores and flip drugs. But, that unfamiliar feeling of heating up that we had, just like you, I want to figure out what it is."

"I see. That does sound nice. I just have one question, Hazawa-san."

"Yes, Sayo-san?"

"What's a bath bomb?"

Tsugumi let out a burst of contagious laughter, and she lets go of Sayo's hand on the doorknob to cover her mouth. 

"It's a ball you throw in the bath, and it fizzes. Your bathwater will change color and scent. They also help me relax."

"I feel so embarrassed."

Sayo lets go of the doorknob and reaches for her wallet.

"Here's my business card, so you can contact me later."

She hands it over to Tsugumi, but when Tsugumi receives it, she chuckles.

"Uh, Sayo-san, doesn't this have your work information? Wouldn't it be bad if I contacted you there?"

Sayo pulls the card out of Tsugumi's hand.

"Let's exchange personal phone numbers then."

The two swap phones, and when they're done exchanging information, Sayo opens the door halfway.

"Sayo-san, would you like to go to the dog cafe next weekend so we can get to know each other better?"

"Dog cafe? Yes, that sounds good. I'd also like to know you better as well, Hazawa-san."

The two of them walk into a hallway, and Sayo looks around.

"Let me show you the way out."

Tsugumi grabs Sayo's hand until they're at the backdoor of Hazawa Coffee. 

"See you next weekend, Hazawa-san."

"See you next weekend, Sayo-san."

Tsugumi closes the door and resists the urge to bounce everywhere. She enters her room and receives a message from the Afterglow Group Chat.

Himari- Tsugu, will you be done soon? Let us know when you're done, so we can start the video meeting.

Tsugumi- I just finished! I'll be there in a few minutes.

Himari- Welcome to the video call, everyone! First things first, Tsugumi! Do we still have to worry about that detective?

Tsugumi shakes her head and looks at the dog plush on her bed.

**Author's Note:**

> until this urge comes back again, nothing will come.


End file.
